


When I Breathe I Breathe For Two

by hummingrightalong



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, FitzSimmons Friendship, Fluff, Grant Ward Isn't Hydra, Headcanon, M/M, Mpreg, Non Canonical, Pregnancy, grant ward never was hydra, maveth fix, non romantic fitzsimmons
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-16
Updated: 2018-02-16
Packaged: 2019-03-19 14:01:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13705935
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hummingrightalong/pseuds/hummingrightalong
Summary: Jemma and Will Daniels, after Maveth. Married and expecting. Jemma isn't so stoked about the pregnancy at first. Leo, with a growing family of his own, helps out.Song referenced is "Seal My Fate" by Belly





	When I Breathe I Breathe For Two

The subject first comes up when they're planning the wedding. All of their parents are sitting around the dining room table of the new home, brochures and color palette samples strewn around the surface before them and the floor surrounding them.  
The Simmons' and Daniels' politely disagreeing on the little details, and who'd pay for what (despite Jemma's generous SHIELD salary and Will's back pay -and retributions for NASA ruining his life and all that- being more than enough to front any and all costs).  
There's a wink-wink nudge-nudge moment from someone's mother. Not that it matters either way, but looking back it was probably Mrs. Daniels. After all, Will had been raised rather traditionally and had made an easy enough (for being rumoured dead that long) transition back into his family. His own personal morals were firmly cemented to the point where he kept his plans for proposing to Jemma a secret until he'd been introduced to her parents and personally asked her father for permission.  
Jemma's parents knew her well enough to know asking about plans for the next Simmons generation was a fool's errand.  
Dr Simmons had the explanation handled however. There were prepared charts, and a white board that appears out of nowhere the very MOMENT a future in-law asks 'so, after you're married, how soon do you expect to have children.  
"Ahem. Attention please. I knew this moment would come, and I will expain to the best of my abilities every reason why we can not, and will not, be having our own offspring."  
Ever the analytical and kind-hearted but serious Dr Simmons had already been through a similar moment when explaining to Will why she would, offically, take his last name when they were married but still go by Dr Simmons in the public sector- so to speak. 'It'd just be confusing. 'You're retired and I have a long standing scientific reputation in, and out of SHIELD.'  
Will graciously agreed, honestly not being bothered much at all. She was the love of his life. He'd faced a rather intimidating upper-crusty English fellow to ask for her hand. Before that he'd faced a monster of unimaginable power during their escape from Maveth.  
He was just happy to be home, to start living a normal life away from his old aspirations. The mundane life was the life for him now that he was back on earth. The perfect girl, his family still alive and accepting of the edited explanation about where he'd been and why.  
Will Daniels suppressed a deep sigh as best he could when someone brought up the baby thing. Jemma had already gone through- in agonizing detail- why they would just be them for the rest of their lives together.  
"Number 1:," Jemma starts with all the authority she might have if she were, say, making a speech at the Sci-Tech Academy. "Will is still recovering from rather serious emotional trauma both from his seclusion in space, as well as the betrayel by his peers at NASA and in the Air Force."  
Will thinks about correcting her. How he wasn't even a member of either for very long, and in fact the whole thing was more a complicated plot that had more to do with the Hydra and SHIELD cold war than anything else.  
"If we could move this along darling." Will smiles and allows her to proceed. He finds her abilty to take everything so seriusly adorable and charming.  
"Number 2- and really, this could easily be the first point as it's equally important-" she makes a symbol connecting the 1st and 2nd points on the white board to symbolize their equal effect on their decision. "My high intellect and mild autism, while not diminishing my ability to care for others, does often make emotional connection and understanding difficult. This is not a conducive setting for raising a child and meeting it's complicated emotional needs."  
The white board list grows a few more bullet points but Jemma explains quickly and concisely.  
When it's all over no one mentions it again.

***

Jemma and Will are married not long after Maveth. They spend holidays and any free long weekends at least making contact through Skype with all their parents, if not flying out to visit. 

***

Dr Simmons has been off. She'll admit that freely. For weeks now, she's been both queasy but energetic, accident prone yet free of personal injury or collateral damage. She's been a living paradox.  
It's...interesting. For the moment."

***

"Fitz!?!" An oddly desperate squeak sounds from the front room.  
It's after hours for the FitzWard household. Leo has been out of the lab for hours, as he's been taking short days now that he's expecting again. A third pregnancy will soon become four children for this family.  
Leo takes it quite well, and never much complains. The first time around he only hoped he'd have a little boy that took after Grant in as many ways as possible. So that he could 'raise him right'.  
Grant had come a long way. Currently playing with Brody and Malcolm (officially Callum on the certificate, but only Leo felt he was within right to use the Scottish name because it sounded funny coming out of his American husband and he only did so really when the little blond was in trouble). The semi-retired field agent had been a major relief for Jemma on Maveth and, let's face it, more than half the reason Agent Fitz crossed the universe to find them. His husband, best friend, and a surprise third all saved (from displacement AND from what they'd later nickname 'Hive' in the files) despite the fact that he was still fighting the effects of hypoxia.  
Instincts kicking in, as well as a keen understanding of the relationship his husband still shared with Jemma, Grant made himself somewhat scarce after greeting her first and pointing in the direction of Leo's home work space. 

***

"What is it Jem?" The engineer says over his shoulder. Affectionate and happy to hear from her but slightly distracted.  
A normal person might lead up to it. Might feel the need to explain or even feel sort of silly for freaking out about this. Jemma wasn't normal. The science duo had also known each other long enough to forgo that sort of thing.

"I'm bloody pregnant." Her voice isn't exactly raised, but her usual reserved yet excited tone isn't quite right.  
Leo turns around, slowly, one hand on a hip while looking down at the bump where his twins are growing. "You're a biologist Jem. You had to see this coming. It's not exactly the end of the world nor something you aren't equipped to deal with."  
"Right, and Will most certainly will be ecstatic." Catching a good look at his best friend he can see clearly that she's hiding any physical evidence by dressing abnormally and changing the way she holds her body.  
"You haven't told him yet."  
"No, you're the first of course."  
Leo places a hand firmly on each of her shoulders, abandoning his work to support his platonic soul mate. They're one anothers first priority as always.  
"Jem. Go home. Tell your husband. Pull up your boot straps and celebrate this next, WONDERFUL stage in your life." She can't help but think...no, know...there's a slight edge of mocking to his advice. After all, the FitzWards will soon be a family of 6.  
"Yes, right. I can do this. Of course." She straightens her shoulders, turns away, and is gone as quickly as she'd arrived.

***

Jemma's attitude about the pregnancy takes a sudden turn the very next day. She's excitedly checking her vitals, using all her advantages as head biologist in the SHIELD Science department. She's even got a name picked out as soon as she discovers the sex of the child.  
At first Will Daniels is told, straight after hearing the news that he'll soon be a father, that he'll also be the one ('since you're not technically employed.') responsible for most of the infants care while Dr Simmons, as always, does very important work for the agency.  
That idea is soon abandoned, possibly the moment the name Maisie is cemented in mum's mind.  
Her best friend can tell that this kid, like his little Brody, will never leave Jemma's sight. 

***  
About half way through the pregnancy she's suffering the usual effects- especially the constant crying.  
One episode in particular Leo will remind her of long after Maisie is born.  
Dr Simmons, entering the 3rd trimester and still working as hard- but safer- as always, a song comes up on someone's Ipod randomly.  
"What's wrong, Simmons?" Somebody asks, noticing the uncontrollable sobbing that never before had been a typical quirk of hers. She'd always been rather in control of herself.  
"It's...it's just...when I breathe...I breathe for 2." She's smiling and crying, a hand on her growing belly. Still wearing the labcoat that'd long since stopped fitting properly.  
Fitz snorts a laugh. "Love, that's not even what the song's really about. Also, I'm over here breathing for 3."  
Simmons shushes him. He shoots Will a text. Mr Daniels kind of needs to see this. And probably take her home for both of them to soak it in while it lasts.


End file.
